Hello! Thanks for stopping by.  I write songs in reaction to life, quite often my own, or the lives of those around me.  Sometimes my song tells me what I'm thinking before I've even realised myself.  
I hope there is something here that resonates with you, I'd be really delighted to hear your comments.  
I started writing and playing again in March 2015 after a break of about 20 years having realised that life is short and I'd better crack on! I self released my 9 track CD 'Your Life' in 2017 and have since written many songs which will eventually end up on a 2nd 'album'!  I’ve had a couple of radio plays on BBC Introducing and played at a few local singers nights, but I’m really blown away by this Soundcloud community,  there’s a treasure trove of real music on here and the support is really appreciated.  
March 2021 update I've been teaching myself keyboard and have found it an inspiration for song writing and so my more recent tracks are written and performed with the piano keyboard.  
First memory of being captured by Songwriting was sitting behind a sofa aged 10 at a party and discovering Carol King’s Tapestry and a turntable. Teenage years dominated by an obsession with David Bowie, his word craft, imagery, story telling and his example of being able to constantly reinvent himself and not be pigeonholed. 
All tracks are my own compositions and performances except extra rhythm guitar and percussion on ‘Doing Time’ which was Carl Hetherington. 
Most of the images I have used are my own original artwork.  I now have an Instagram page where I’ll be posting my art at rowenaartandmusic 

https://www.instagram.com/rowenaartandmusic 

Thanks for stopping by, it’s much appreciated.

I've played in front of 1,100,000 people in Washington, D.C. on the fourth of July, and performed for no one in a club called The Losers on Christmas Eve. I learned how to play guitar from the best, my brother Tommy Crain. I got to see Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Albert King, and Jimmy Page perform during my teen years. I've shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, ZZ Top, The Cars, The Marshall Tucker band, The Allman Brothers Band, The Charlie Daniels Band, Molly Hatchet, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Jerry Lee Lewis, and all the heroes of old. I've played a show using Duane Allman's Les Paul, recorded using Steve Gaines Stratocaster, and am the proud owner of  my brother's beloved Gold Top Les Paul. I've stayed up all night flipping quarters with Gregg Allman, jammed with Dicky Betts on "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" into the wee hours on a snowy night in a hotel room in Philadelphia, and almost had the bottom half of my left ear bitten off by Allen Collins. Keith Urban spent his first Thanksgiving in the USA at Mama Crain's house and oh yeah, I drank whiskey with Jimmy Page. I've stood onstage with a Blues Brother named Dan Ackroyd, traveled in Econoline Vans, Silver Eagles, puddle jumper airplanes, and toured the world many times over. I've recorded with little known acts at the time like Shania Twain and The Dixie Chicks. I've received royalty checks for as little as 15 cents, and as big as $80,000. I've been an Outlaw, a Bellamy Brother, a Music Row songwriter, producer, and session guitar player. I've won multiple songwriter awards, received multi-platinum sales awards, and ended up shoveling horse**** to pay my child support. I have been saved by the Grace of God, been a foster parent, a humanitarian to Haiti,  buried my brother, and my parents, got sued,  helped my wife survive cancer, adopted two young children, and had to retire indefinitely from the road for health reasons, all in a two year period. I still love to play guitar, write songs, and make records. I love Jesus, my wife, and four children, and that's about all you need to know about me......

Billy Crain

Multi-genre composer. Mostly old school, but lately some with ML. Influenced by Beethoven to Queen. Retired Radar/EW System Engineer. Hope you enjoy! LINK TO MY REPOSTS:

SCOTT SHARRARD spent nearly a decade as lead guitarist and bandleader to the late Gregg Allman.
Their partnership included the Sharrard-penned “Love Like Kerosene,” which Allman covered on 2015’s “Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA,” and again on Allman’s eighth and final solo album, the posthumous, GRAMMY-nominated “Southern Blood” (Rounder Records, 2017).
Another “Southern Blood” track, “My Only True Friend” – co-written by Sharrard and Allman – earned a GRAMMY nomination for Americana Song of the Year.
The singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and arranger earlier released three albums with The Chesterfields before embarking on a series of solo efforts. The Michigan natives latest, the top 10 Billboard blues charting solo effort and widely critically acclaimed “Saving Grace,” was delivered in 2018. 
Scott is currently working on his 6th solo album with longtime producing partner and Grammy winning engineer, Charlie Martinez. The album is set for a Fall 2020 release. 
In addition to touring all over the USA and the world with his band, Scott is the newest member of the legendary Rock and Roll Band Little Feat, stepping in after the passing of Paul Barrere back in November 2019.  They plan to collaborate on more shows and a new album in 2021. 

http://scottsharrard.com/

To all the outstanding musicians out there who inspire me.

LINK TO MY MUSIC:

From Western New York,(Over 137K) fans at https://myspace.com/johnostertag) ( 73k) fans at https://www.reverbnation.com/johnostertag)( 10.4K) likes on(https://www.facebook.com/John-Ostertag-117766458319904/

THE JOURNEY TAKEN by singer-songwriter + multi-instrumentalist Sam Winston to his latest release ('Damaged Goods') hasn't been straightforward. It has been a circuitous route, with several hurdles to overcome including health problems and a self-imposed 4 year hiatus from releasing his first album The Fire & The Icicle (2016). 

However, as is frequently the case, it's in these very hurdles that Sam found new creative strength. A conscious expression of his vulnerabilities is what underpins the spirit of the new record. "Damaged Goods is a statement about losing my core and letting go...about being okay with not being okay."

In addition to supporting Boy George on tour in Amsterdam, Sam has toured Belgium and Scotland with the support of Scottish guitar makers Bailey Guitars, a company who only use 100% renewable energy. This fact is important to Sam who owns and plays various Bailey instruments. When they were losing their factory, Sam aided them by curating a compilation album of his and others' works. Profits from it helped secure the Bailey premises. 

Various notable gigs for Sam include Dartford Festival; twice selling out the renowned Mick Jagger Centre; Folk On The Dock Fest; supporting Henry Priestman of The Christians & headlining the BBC Radio Stage at Chatham's Steam Fest. 

--  REVIEWS  --  

"Sam’s earnest voice is equally at home in delicate folk music numbers, as it is to bolder pop-influenced songs" - RICHER UNSIGNED

"Heart-warming...Winston is soulful to the tips of his toes" - MATT BELL, THE SUN

"A voice both delicate and disarming" - BBC UPLOAD


"His tracks feature unusual instruments like a Celtic harp, a Victorian dulcitone, mandolins, even Sam's uncle's 100 year old accordion" - THE NEWS SHOPPER

"Winston is a class act" - THE SOUTH LONDON PRESS

"Intricate and big-hearted [...] a playful, soulful delight" - LEO ULPH, BBC RADIO KENT

"Damaged Goods is a great song with such a fine vocal from Sam, the lyrics are deep and perfect [...] it deserves to be heard and admired" - CHRIS DIFFORD

There's no accounting for taste.
Get the recognition you deserve!
bit.ly/boostyoursongs

🎧 The New Of The Tower
Welcome to a new, underground, dark world...

🎭 Musical Style & Artistic Evolution

🚀 Avant-Garde Dance Music Without Borders
The New Of The Tower is an independent, self-taught project that fearlessly pushes the limits of dance music with a unique fusion of genres. Officially described as a mix of dark techno, tech-house, electro, and experimental pop, it also incorporates elements of trap, punk, and even classical music.

In practice, each track oscillates between club anthems and conceptual sonic experiences. For instance, “Velvet Guillotine” (2025) is a hypnotic techno hymn built on heavy percussion and distorted vocals—a true “surreal sonic ritual” under neon lights.

The sound is always matched by a cinematic, underground aesthetic: strobe lights, cyberpunk visuals, and immersive atmospheres define every release.

🌍 Eclectic Influences & Genre Alchemy

The New Of The Tower draws from a wide range of sonic traditions:

🏴‍☠️ Dark techno and industrial groove infused with gothic textures and anarchic punk (e.g., “BRUTAL!!” — a chaotic journey of distortion and rebellion).

🌍 Afro-Tech House meets rock guitars à la AC/DC in “Love Letters” (124–126 BPM).

👺 “Masquerade of Bass” blends melodic techno, dark psytrance, and retro synth-pop.

💃 Spanish-language tracks like “Marionetas” and “Vidas Rotas” fuse flamenco sorrow with trap beats and deep 808s.

🎷 “2:59 AM” evokes Amy Winehouse-inspired jazzy cloud-rap, while “She Danced Through Storms” travels through deep house and jazz fusion with a cinematic touch.

🧊 “Still Echoing” merges melodic trance with nostalgic 80s synth-pop.

🧬 Each track is a bold cross-genre experiment: from industrial club bangers to dark electronic ballads, always rich in texture and emotion.

🎛️ Sonic Palette: Instruments & Effects

🎹 Synths & Melodies
Analog pads & leads (often vocoder-enhanced) create retrofuturistic atmospheres.
Punk-style distorted guitars and 80s synthwave textures bring cinematic depth.

🥁 Percussion & Rhythms
Hard techno kicks, metallic hi-hats, tribal drums, and trap-style 808s.
Layered acoustic and electronic elements make for dynamic and precise beats.

🌀 FX & Processing
Rich in glitchy clips, VHS noise, deep delays, and reverb-soaked vocals.

Examples: “Love Letters” is drenched in lo-fi and VHS textures; “4 Malos Polvos” features glitchy ambient layers and emotional auto-tune.

🎨 Each sound is carefully crafted to contribute to a vivid, cinematic soundscape.

🎤 Vocal Treatments: A Sonic Chameleon

Vocals range from:
🎙️ Melodic singing (English & Spanish)
🔥 Punk shouting & spoken rap
🤖 Vocoded retro textures (“Still Echoing”)
💔 Melancholic auto-tuned lines (“4 Malos Polvos”)
💣 Confessional, emotionally intense deliveries
🗣️ The voice becomes another instrument of emotion, soaked in effects like reverb, delay, filters—ranging from ghostly whispers to ecstatic screams.

🌑 Emotional Climate & Storytelling

The overall emotional tone is dark, introspective, and visceral.

Themes revolve around:
💘 Passion, heartbreak, rebellion
🧠 Subconscious states & urban alienation
🕯️ Ritualistic, trance-like experiences (e.g., “Velvet Guillotine”)
🌆 Social suffering (“Marionetas”, “Vidas Rotas”)
😈 Raw eroticism & shame (“4 Malos Polvos”: “each drop is a stab disguised as a caress”)
🎞️ Romantic melancholy in cinematic settings (“2:59 AM”, “She Danced Through Storms”)
🎬 Each track unfolds like an emotional chapter, offering catharsis, vulnerability, and mystery.

📽️ Conceptual Artistry & Vision

The New Of The Tower is not just music—it's an immersive audiovisual concept.

💀 Explores themes of dystopia, poverty, guilt, rebellion
🏙️ Brutalist club visuals, cyberpunk aesthetics
🕯️ Emotional depth with non-commercial intent
🎭 “4 Malos Polvos” = a “dark confession for love sinners,” cinematic and raw
🌀 Each release = a journey through shadow and rhythm
🕺💀 Dance meets darkness—a kind of electronic film noir where each beat tells a deeper truth.

📈 Style Evolution: From EDM to Darkness

🟢 2019–2022: EDM & electro-pop beginnings (Feel EP, “You And Me” — catchy and bright)

🟡 2024: Transition into melodic techno (“Not Living Without You”)

🔴 2025–Present: Shift to dark techno, darkwave, flamenco-trap, and experimental storytelling (“Velvet Guillotine”, “Marionetas”)

🎭 From mainstream dance-pop to raw, conceptual electronic music—always evolving, always fearless.

🎼 Comparable Artists & Influences

🧩 The New Of The Tower resonates with:

🧨 Brutalismus 3000 (techno-punk dystopia)
👾 Perturbator (dark synthwave)
🌘 Mind Against / Recondite (melodic techno & melancholia)
🎤 Boy Harsher, Massive Attack (dark vocals, trip-hop moods)
🔥 Anyma (techno emotion), Latin trap/fusion for its flamenco-trap leanings
🌌 But ultimately, it defines its own world—one built from dark techno, darkwave, nu-jazz, and trap-rock fusion.

🔍 Sources
All analysis is based on official content from:
📻 SoundCloud & YouTube, where each track’s genre, BPM, and atmosphere are detailed, along with the project’s self-described tags and narratives.

📎 Verified by direct observation of mixes like:

“Velvet Guillotine”

“Marionetas”

“4 Malos Polvos”

“Still Echoing”

“Love Letters”

“2:59 AM”

and more.

🎧 The New Of The Tower: Not just a sound, but a dark, immersive, and emotional experience.
Let the beats confess what words cannot.

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